It’s been over 3 years since I decided to hang up my hat and wave goodbye to pro music and radio. Our experience with ABC Radio Networks (and subsequently two more major ones in the US), was a huge high, then a big crash as the world economy contracted.
Prior to that, we had another heady ride with some world-renwned bigshots, where a number of my stablemates went on to win Grammies, but that too came to a screeching halt, in part due to the death of my then partner and friend John Coletta. And prior to that… again, lots of ups and downs.
So when I decided to give up, I meant it. Then. But now is now. An artist I know who’s sold over 5 million records in Asia and Central/Eastern Europe has just recently approached me to produce his upcoming album. At first I said no. “I’m out of the business”.
But then the sly fox name-dropped like mad. “You’ll coproduce this with Steve Lukather (Toto) and Steve Dorff (Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers), David Garfield (George Benson), David Paitch (Toto), and we’ll have Christopher Cross and Natalie Cole dueting with me, come on Paul, don’t run and hide!” So he got me convinced enough to give it a try. Again.
I haven’t looked back since, as my friends in the industry re-embraced me as if we only parted yesterday. We’re rolling full steam ahead now.